Love Pains
by sweetsouthernsarcasm
Summary: Toph's feet hurt, since two lovers are sitting veryclose to each other. (Rewrite of a oneshot I wrote for Zutara Week 2010. Prompt: Pain.)


"Zuko, Katara, you two need to stop sitting next to each other," Toph stated.

"Um, why's that?" Katara asked, puzzled.

"Because every time the two of you do, your hearts start beating faster, and it tickles my feet. Sometimes so much it practically hurts."

Zuko blushed. "Whatcha mean?" he asked.

Toph huffed. "It's been like this ever since the two of you went on that mission together," she said. "I don't know what happened between the two of you, but I do know something's up."

"The two of you _have_ been pretty buddy-buddy since then," Sokka said, slightly accusatory. he rested his face in his hand, raising an eyebrow. "The two of you didn't kiss, did you?"

"What? No, of course not," Katara said. "I just stopped hating him, why would I kiss him?" Katara asked, frustrated.

"Because you just started liking him, and that was your way of showing it," Suki said.

Katara harrumphed. _With that kind of logic, it's no wonder Sokka fell for her._ "We didn't kiss," she said again. _Although it probably wouldn't be too bad_, she thought, light blush spreading across her cheeks.

"You guys are being crazy," Zuko said.

"I don't know about that, now," Sokka said. "They have gotten pretty close these past couple of weeks, and they're definitely the "mom friend" and "dad friend" of the group," he continued. "I actually think the two of them would make a good couple. I approve."

"Like I'd need your approval anyway," Katara scoffed.

"Logically, I know you don't. But my big brother instincts feel otherwise," Sokka replied, grinning.

Katara couldn't help but giggle at that. "Fair enough; thinking back, I felt the same about some of the girls we ran across throughout our travels," she said.

"I agree with Sokka, you two would be adorable together," Suki said.

"Don't get upset, Twinkletoes," Toph said. "I'm sure plenty of people think that Katara will make a fine wife for The Avatar."

"Upset? Why would I be upset?" Aang replied, confusion coloring his voice.

"It's totally not because you have a huge crush on Katara," Sokka said, rolling his eyes.

Aang's blush intensified. "Okay, look, I _did_ have a crush on Katara for a while, but I don't anymore," he said.

"Aang, if you do have feelings for Katara, it's okay to admit it," Suki said, looking concerned.

"He's telling the truth" Toph said, smiling.

"Yeah. It's just, it still feels kinda weird to think about either of us dating someone else, since I only recently realized I don't have those kinds of feelings for her anymore," Aang said. "That's probably why you mistook my heartbeat for being upset, Toph."

"Ah, okay. That makes sense," Suki replied.

Aang just grinned at that. "Well, I'm kinda tired, so I'm gonna head off to bed," he said, standing up. Waving, he added "Katara, Zuko, don't get _too_ friendly just yet, okay?"

The two people in question heaved a sigh, simultaneously.

"See? You two are practically synchronized," Toph said. "And not just verbally, your heartbeats are still heavy and ticklish and have combined into one. Kiss and get all the tension over with already so it'll stop."

"Yeah, I think you should, too, even if I though I can't feel it in my feet," Sokka said, giving a double thumbs up as Suki just nodded.

Katara rolled her eyes. Whispering to Zuko, she gave him a side-eye and said "so, do you want to give them the show they're begging for?"

Zuko, blushing lightly, nodded his head slightly, barely moving it.

That was the only cue Katara needed. Moving swiftly, she cupped Zuko's face, her hand quickly brushing against his scar. Zuko rested his hand on the back of head, lightly pulling her towards him. Their lips met briefly in a short kiss, then they pulled away from each other. (Both of them felt it ended too soon.)

The others the clapped, and Momo chirped, making one circle above their heads before landing on the basket full of fruit and pulling out a peach.

"Ahhh, that's much better," Toph said, grinning. "I don't know about you two, but I feel much better now. Stretching, she stood up. "Now that my feet have stopped hurting, I'm gonna take a leaf from Twinkletoes' book and go to bed," she said, walking off. "Good night!"

"Goodnight!" everyone replied.

"Well, now that you two have finally taken the first step to clear the air, I better not find you two on any "perimeter checks"," he said, using air quotes.

Zuko just rolled his eyes, throwing a dried out peach pit at him in reply.

Suki and Katara giggled, and then the subject changed.

However, the two small figures hiding in the shadows didn't miss how the two teens had scooted ever so slightly closer to each other, and they swapped a silent high-five before finally going to bed, their mission accomplished.


End file.
